Franz ElizI remember vividly what my first visit to Vietnam in 2013 was like. Ho Chi Minh was the first Vietnamese city I visited. What a chaotic city! I had never seen so many motorbikes in my life nor felt so afraid to cross the road until I visited Vietnam.
I returned to Vietnam for the second time 3 years later. It was a different experience since I was travelling longer this time. My American friend Mike, who was living in Ho Chi Minh at the time, hosted me for a week.
Amy, a Vietnamese girl I met in Vietnam, also hosted me. She and her sister were very kind to me. Initially, Amy was supposed to stay with me in Malaysia during her business trip, but we couldn’t meet due to unforeseen circumstances. She ended up hosting me first instead.
Vietnam, a Country I Enjoy Visiting
My second trip to Vietnam in 2016 was better than the first one. I was a lot calmer than I was, and I seemed to have improved my travel skills. I thought I would stay in Vietnam for a short while, but instead, I travelled from the south to the north of Vietnam before making my way to Laos. Never saw that coming! I made a motorbike trip with Alexandre, a French traveller I met in Hanoi.
In 2019, I returned to Vietnam again. It was the second motorbike trip I did with Alexandre. Travelling in winter wasn’t ideal, but we didn’t mind. We visited one of the best travel places in Vietnam, Ha Giang. It’s one of my favourite locations in Vietnam.
I was so much in love with Ha Giang that I joined my friend Joey in Ha Giang. This time, I visited Ha Giang in the summer. It was amazing. After Ha Giang, we visited Ninh Binh and Hanoi, where I had been before but didn’t mind coming back for the second time.
In addition, Vietnam is the country where I learned more about myself and what I think of the country, as elaborated in the following:
I Don’t Mind Travelling Alone
In 2013, I wanted something different in my life. I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. So, I made my first solo trip that year. Overall, I had a good time in Ho Chi Minh despite not knowing what to expect from the country and what exactly I wanted to do.
The experience made me realise that travelling alone wasn’t a bad idea. Sure, it has its pros and cons. But overall, I thought my first solo travel was a good experience.
Here are some of the things that happened:
The number of motorbikes on the road intimidated me. Since I was too scared to cross the road, I spent an hour looking at the road from my hotel room, trying to decide whether or not I should go out.
Fish and chips and some beers were the first things I consumed upon arriving in Vietnam. I looked at the menu and didn’t understand a word on the menu. So I took the easy way out and ordered western food instead. When I shared a photo of what I had with my friends, they wrote back to me – something like, ‘Why, so American’.
I got scammed endlessly, to the point I was so fed up with it. But I blamed myself for not doing enough research before arriving at my destination. There were many travel blogs on the internet, but I rarely bothered to read them.
I spent most of my time eating alone. That’s because I was too shy to meet and hang out with other backpackers. Even an extrovert like me struggles with starting conversations with people.
Because I stayed far from the city centre, I always had to take a taxi. The hotel where I was staying was 25 minutes away from the city centre. I saw many families there. I got a discount for the hotel, so I didn’t think much before booking it. What I forgot to consider was the distance of the hotel from the city centre. And I made the mistake of not opting for a motorbike taxi, which is cheaper than a car taxi service. I could’ve used a bus during the day, but I didn’t.
I met Chris, a Singaporean guy I met through TravBuddy. When Chris and I went to Chill Skybar, we partied with a Vietnamese girl and her friends from Cambodia and Korea. A pretty Vietnamese with fringe hair smiled at me at the bar, and the next thing, we were dancing through the night. Thanks to Chris, I had the chance to meet people and enjoy myself that day. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought of going for a night out.
I also met a Vietnamese guy who voluntarily wanted to show me the city. That was nice of him. He showed me around on his motorbike and introduced me to a nice local restaurant.
Travelling Without a Clear Plan Can Be a Waste of Money
After my first visit to Vietnam, I realised that not planning my trip properly cost me more money than I’d liked. Had I planned my trip better, I would’ve had more money to spend on experiences, like covering more local attractions and maybe even taking a tour to visit Cambodia. Many travellers I encountered in Ho Chi Minh booked a bus from Ho Chi Minh to Cambodia through one of Vietnam’s well-known travel companies, Sinch Cafe.
I’m not saying I should’ve planned my trip from A to Z; I should’ve at least made a better travel plan and budget. One important thing I learned from my 2013 trip to Vietnam: the location of a hotel is very important if you don’t have your own vehicle, like a motorbike. It’s best to stay within the city centre or closer to it.
I’ve Had Some of the Best Memories in Vietnam
When I visited Vietnam in January 2016, I was better prepared. I was more careful with my money and did my research properly. I also spent more time hanging out with the locals and other travellers.
The people I met on the road made my trip more special. Not only did I learn about Vietnam and its locals, but I also had the chance to learn about other travellers and their stories. They would share stories about their countries or experiences living or travelling in Vietnam.
Above is a photo I took with Doan, Michael, and Vyna in 2016. We went around Ho Chi Minh to try local food, like Bánh Tráng Nướng. Apparently, many people like to hang out outside the Notre Dame cathedral. We did the same and had our local snack there. After that, we went out for some beers. It was a memorable night.
Initially, I wanted to stay the night at McDonald’s as I had an early flight to catch the next day. But Doan generously offered me a place to stay for the night. Thanks, Doan!
All of us stayed up until after midnight. I only had a few hours of shuteye before catching my flight. That morning was quite special – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were all in the sky, shining brightly, an event that occurred for the first time after 11 years. I didn’t know until Michael told me. We watched the alignment of the planets before I left and wished him and Doan goodbye.
When in Doubt, Cross the Road With Other People
During my 2013 solo trip, I was afraid of the vehicles on the road. I was braver in 2016, so crossing the road was easier this time. That didn’t mean my heart didn’t beat faster whenever I crossed the road. Accidents can still happen even if the locals generally know how to avoid pedestrians on the road.
I learned a trick for crossing the road in Ho Chi Minh. Whenever the road was very busy – especially during peak hours – I would wait for others to cross the road if I was uncomfortable crossing the road on my own.
Suppose the vehicles were coming from the left, and another pedestrian was trying to cross the road. I would stand on the right side of the other pedestrian and cross the road when the pedestrian crossed the road. This was a trick I picked up by simply observing other pedestrians. After spending some time in the country, I would cross the road more confidently than ever.
I Love Having a Travel Buddy
As much as I enjoy solo travelling, I think it’s nice to travel with someone else once in a while. I’m very particular about who I travel with, especially when we’re both going on a long-term travel journey together.
So far, I’ve had a very good experience with Alex, my french travel buddy whom I met in Hanoi. Alex is adventurous, intelligent, responsible, understanding, and optimistic. We gelled well together. At the end of our trip, he told me he’d love to travel with me again.
Travelling with Alex was easy. He always tried his best to find a solution to every problem. Although we had many tough days on the road together, we were still very happy. In fact, we made a good team.
Travelling with someone is almost like being in a relationship with that person. You need to be able to work as a team, respect and understand each other, and have fun together. It’s perfectly okay to be picky about with whom you’re going to travel. The right person will make your trip worthwhile. If you ask me, I don’t prefer to travel with someone who’s possessive or whiny.
How To Know if Someone Is the Right Travel Buddy
While it’s not always easy to identify the right person to travel with before you start travelling together, you can learn about each other first before deciding whether or not you should (or can) travel together. Try to find your common ground. Since Alex and I share many things in common, we’re quite compatible.
You can learn about your potential travel partner in many ways, from figuring out their personal interests to learning about their eating habits. They should also learn about you.
It also helps to observe how someone treats other people, even animals, and how they behave during difficult times.
But sometimes, you might learn that your travel buddy and you aren’t always on the same page. For example, Alex and I may be both curious and adventurous, but his sense of adventure is higher than mine.
At one point, Alex and I wanted to go our separate ways simply because we realised that we weren’t always in everything together. But then we changed our minds and continued to stick together until the end of our trip. We realised that we still wanted to travel together.
When travelling with another person, it’s important to acknowledge each other’s concerns, feelings, or ideas. Remember, you’re a team.
I’m Not a Big Fan of Phở, But I’m Crazy About Chè and Spring Rolls
If you’ve been to Vietnam, I’m sure you’ve tried Phở. Phở is a delicious Vietnamese noodle soup made of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. It’s typically served on the streets of Vietnam. While I’ve tried some very good ones – like the one sold at the shop opposite the Sunshine Hotel in Hanoi – I’m not a big fan of this noodle.
I may not be in love with Phở, but I’m a big fan of Chè, a local dessert made of mung or kidney beans, jelly, fruits, coconut cream, etc. I always look for this dessert whenever I’m in Vietnam. But it’s not always easy to find.
When I was staying with my American friend Mike in Ho Chi Minh City, he took me to his favourite Chè stall. He’s also a big fan of the sweet dessert and eats it regularly.
I’m also a big fan of Vietnamese spring rolls, particularly the fresh ones. But it’s not always easy to find good fresh spring rolls, even in Vietnam. You need to know where to find the good ones. I found a stall selling fresh spring rolls in one of the small Hanoi alleys and went crazy over them. They’re the best fresh spring rolls I’ve had in my life. This seller’s spring rolls were divine. Sadly, I don’t remember where the stall is.
Many Vietnamese Wake Up Early
I mean, really early. It could be 6.30 a.m., and you can already hear people screaming on the streets. It’s something I’ve learned to deal with after spending some time in the country. Of course, I didn’t have to deal with this in every place I visited in Vietnam. Some places can be quiet.
If you make a walk-in hotel booking, you might want to check with your hotel reception regarding the check-out time. That’s because some hotels, particularly outside big cities, have an early check-out time, as early as 7 a.m.!
Once, I was awoken by my hotel’s receptionist at 8 a.m. He knocked on the door to invite Alex and me for breakfast. Right… rice wine and sticky rice for breakfast – that’s what I call a one-of-a-kind breakfast. Before we got drunk, we quickly left the hotel to continue our road trip.
Vietnamese Youngsters Are Always Looking for Ways To Improve Their English
In Ho Chi Minh, I met many young people who would approach foreigners, me included, to practise their English. I thought it was very weird at first because this isn’t something I would see in my home country. But I was happy every time a young Vietnamese introduced themselves to me and shared a good laugh with me.
They made their intentions loud and clear: they wanted to practise their English. Of course, I was always happy to help someone learn a language. Along the way, I was able to get to know the locals. One of them became friends with me and offered to give me a ride home afterwards.
I Could Teach English in Vietnam
Backpacking in Vietnam exposed me to people from around the globe. Many of them teach English in the country. I was surprised to learn that you don’t always need to have some kind of English-teaching certification to be able to teach English in Vietnam. That’s usually not possible in my home country, even for someone with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Linguistics.
A friend of mine, currently teaching English in Vietnam, asked me if I’d like to teach English there. It’s something I would definitely consider. What about you? Would you like to teach English in Vietnam, too?
Vietnamese Don’t Just Praise White Skin
I’m aware of the white-skin obsession in Vietnam. The truth is the same exists in many other Asian countries. Where I’m from, fair complexions are often regarded as being beautiful.
I had tanned skin in 2016 due to the hitchhiking I had done a couple of months earlier. When Amy invited me to a kid’s party – one of her relatives had a birthday – I sat with a group of fair-skin Vietnamese girls. I believe they were her relatives.
Being the polite guest I was, I mingled with them. Of course, they asked about me, like my name, where I was from, etc. They seemed very enthusiastic when talking with me. Then, one of them said, ‘You’re very pretty’, and smiled. So did the others.
Honestly, their compliments made me blush. I didn’t see that coming. What they said that night continues to stay in my head to this day. It made me realise that the white-skin obsession in Vietnam doesn’t mean the locals won’t find people with different skin colours attractive.
I Like Vietnamese People
Vietnamese are very interesting people. And they’re very friendly! They’ll speak to you in their language even if you don’t understand a word they’re saying.
Remember when I mentioned that young Vietnamese are always trying to improve their English? I like the effort they put into improving themselves. That’s also a very smart way to learn English. What better way to learn a language than to apply it to one-to-one interactions with fluent English speakers?
In the cities, you’ll notice young Vietnamese dressed in trendy clothes. Many like to wear bright colours. Alex enjoyed admiring fashionable Vietnamese men and asking them how to dress like them. He was upset that he couldn’t look as good in those clothes as the Vietnamese. That made me chuckle.
Vietnamese are also very helpful. When Joey and I got lost when looking for the bus station, the locals tried their best to help us despite the language barrier. Also, when an old Vietnamese lady accused Alex and me of knocking her with our motorbike – even though we didn’t – the locals who witnessed what happened helped to defend us.
And when Alex and I ran out of petrol in the mountains, the locals who passed by turned back to bring us some petrol.
I could go on and on about my backpacking in Vietnam stories. Vietnam is a beautiful country with a rich history and interesting people. Being one of my favourite destinations, I can see myself visiting this country again in the coming years.
Interested in backpacking in Vietnam and creating a memorable travel story for yourself? Go ahead and plan a trip to Vietnam if you haven’t already. Happy travels!
